Knowing or predicting flow regimes for wet steam flowing in a steam-distributing network is important to the engineering, management, and economics of steamflood enhanced oil recovery (EOR). All steam EOR systems involve a steam distribution system. Most steams used in oil field steam operations are a wet steam. More specifically, the steam can be classified as a two-phase flow including steam (vapor) and water (liquid). The proportion of each phase at a point in the distributions system can be affected by frictional pressure loss, liquid holdup, and unequal phase splitting at piping junctions. Phase splitting occurs when liquid water separates from the steam. The two phases have very different properties, including energy content. Defining the amount of each phase delivered to any point of consumption is important to the efficient and effective operation of oil recovery projects.
Consideration of an extent and a nature of mixing of the liquid and gas phases is critical to the accurate function of steam quality measuring systems. In multi-phase flows, these mixing conditions are referred to as flow regimes. Prior efforts to contend with the effects of flow regimes have mainly applied devices, such as flow straighteners or internal pipe baffling, to correct upstream flow conditions. However, the flow regime of two-phase flows can be unpredictable and render corrective mechanical devices largely ineffective, thereby producing inaccurate measurements.